Cleansing apparatus



Mar. 3, 1925. v 1,528,180

J. P. BALL 7 CLEANSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9, 14 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W A w jzzvenz'or Mar. 3, 1925.

J. P. BALL CLEANSING APPARATUS FildNOV.

9. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [ILL] llllllLLll "D N .v ,Q m 0 KM w a m l h hnur m n. van/111m iiywre 4 Hal/z,

Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

TES

UNITED ST JOHN P! BALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLEANSING Application filed November To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J OHN P. BALL, a c1t1- zen of the United States,'residing at No.

2514 East 73rd Place, in the city of Chicago, I in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, United States of America, civil engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Cleansing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cleansing apparatus more especially'adapted for cleaning clothes and other textile material by utilizing a current of compressed a1r whereby acurrent of cleansing fluid is forcibly discharged onto the clothes or material to be cleaned; the fluid allowed to drain through the action of gravity from the clothes-containing vessel, after which a ourrent of air is discharged into the vessel and therefore into direct contact with the clothes or material; the introduction of the cleansing fluid and air currents being automatically accomplished in intermittent periods determined by regulable mechanism; the alternate action or introduction of cleansing fluid and air producing aneflicient cleansing action.

Another object of my invention is the r0- vision of means whereby an indepen ent boiler or vessel may be arranged in communication with the cleansing chamber to permit a continuous heating process; while at the same time means are provided whereby the .soapy material or suitable cleansing fluid may be readily introduced'into the heated water prior to its introduction into the clothes holding chamber or receptacle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction whereby the fouled or soiled soapy foam, rising to the top of the clothes-holding chamber, may be forced or blown therefrom, through the action of the a air currents, and discharged from said clothes-holding vessel into a precipitate collecting receptacle.

The apparatus for practicing my invention may have different form, adapting it to various kinds of material and while I show the preferred form in the accompanying drawings, I do not confine myself to the specific form illustrated.

' In the drawings Figu the apparatus and an air compressor engine,

re 1 shows a cross-sectional view ofv APPARATUS.

9, 1922. Serial No. 599,944.

represented by I, an air compressor'reservoir I and air pipes I this drawing 1s presented in order to show the connection of the source of air supply with the details of this invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are detail sectional views of valve mechanism andcontrolling means,

with the valve and mechanism shown in al ternate positions.

Figure 4 is a top plan view with portions broken away and shown in section.

In the specific exemplification of the invention as disclosed in the'drawings, it comprises a perforated and referably cylindrical vessel shown at A, a apted to receive the clothes or material to be operated n; the vessel A being preferably free to re olve on the vertical spindle B. The vessel A is made of foraminated material, preferably suitable wire mesh, to permit the cleansing fluid to readily enter and discharge therefrom. The clothes-container or vessel A is enclosed by a cylindrical housing C preferably having a removable top H provided with acen-,

tral opening which is preferably flared outwardly as shown at D and through which the spindle B extends. The housing C is also provided with openings in the bottom K to receive suitable nozzles as shown at E and E. The housing C in turn is surrounded by a precipitate collecting receptacle F, whose bottom may constitute the bottom of the housing C asshown in Figure 1; and the top of the collecting receptacle F is shown provided with a removable cover Hto allow access to the housing C and clothes-containing vessel A and enable the clothes to be placed therein. The receptacle F, adjacent to its bottom, is shown provided with a draw-off or clean-out cock -J.

The above mentioned containers or vessels constitute what may be termed the supersstructure'of the apparatus which may be, supported,v on a suitable floor; while the elements or parts now to be referred to may constitute the sub-structure of the apparatus or machine. The elements of the substructure consist of a suitable tank or reservoir L adapted to contain a suitable liquid or cleansing fluid; the reservoir L having .communication with the bottom of the housing or vessel C, beneath the clothes-conranged in juxaposition to the vertical axis of the apparatus. These conduits terminate in truncated conical upperends'or nozzles as shown at E and E. The conduits Q and Q, at a point inte-rmediateof the reservoir L and the bottom of the housing or receptacle C are formed to provide a suitable slide-way for a slide-valve N which is adapted to alternately control the'two conduits Q and Q. These coi-iduits Q and Q are also formed to receive the ends of suitable air conveying conduits or pipes 0 and P and O and P, respectively; that is tosay, the conduit Q is shown provided with an air pipe 0 entering through the side wall thereof at a point above slide valve N and with the pipe P entering through the side wall of the conduit at a point beneath the valve N, while conduit Q is provided with the air pipe 0 disposedthrough the side wall thereof at a point above the slide-way of the "alve N and with the air pipe P disposed through the side wall at a point beneath the slideway of valve N. The air pipes O and O are preferably provided with upwardly disposed ends or jets T and'T, respectively, arranged axially within the conduits Q and Q; while the pipes P and P are likewise provided with upwardly disposed ends or jets U and U, respectively, disposed axially within conduits Q and Q, but at points beneath the slide-way for the valve The mechanism for controlling the slide valve is shown at M, preferably in the nature of a cylinder provided with a reciprocating piston which is preferably operated by compressed air obtained from an air presser or suitable source of air supply; although steam or other motive power may be used.

Each air supply pipe 0, O and P, P is provided with a suitable valve, \preferably of a type which normally remains in closed position, by any suitable means, and which are each provided with engaging portions, as shown at R, R and S, S. The flow of air through the pipes is normally shut oil' until the respective valves are opened by means of strikers secured to the plungeror rod X which controls the slide-valve N; the strikers being indicated at V and TV, whereby the valve operating means R and S are actuated. and strikers V and V,

whereby the valve operating means R and S are actuated. The plunger or rod X may be operated in any suitable manner, as for example by means of the connecting link and piston of the driving mechanism M which actuates the rotating wrist-plate or wheel to which the plunger or rod X is eccentrically and pivotally connected as shown in Figure 1. This will cause the slide-valve N to be reciprocated so as to alternately close off conduit Q as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and conduit Q as shown in Figures 3 and 4. lVith this construc tic-n, namely with the striker members arranged on the plunger or rod and an extension of valve N as shown in the drawings, valve operating means R in air pipe 0 and valve operating meansS in air pipe P are moved to open position when valve N has closed ofl. conduit Q, as shown in Figures 1 and 2; while reciprocation of the slide-valve N to the right in Figure 1, namely so as to close off conduit Q and open conduit Q will cause striker W to actuate valve operating means S in conduit P and striker V-to actuate valve operating means R in air pipe 0, at which time the valve in air-pipe O and the valve in air-pipe P will be closed. The tank L may be supplied with a cleansing fluid such as soapy water, gasoline or naphtha through a supply pipe Y controlled by a suitable hand-valve as shown and if the tank L is charged with water it may be heated in any suitable manner as for example by means of agas-burner and gas supply conduit shown at Z located beneath tank L.

lVith the construction illustrated, compressed air is introduced into the conduits Q, Q through the operation of the valves as heretofore described; while the conduit which has been opened through movement of the valve N will also have the cleansing fluid flow upwardly therethrough by reason of the suction caused by the air current or blast: the cleansing fluid being caused to pass through the bottom of the clothes-containing receptacle A. WVith the mechanism in the condition illustrated in Figure 1, where valve S is held open so as to have a blast of air issue from jet U, the cleansing fluid will be caused to pass upward through conduit Q and introduced into vessel A and upon the reciprocation of valve N to the right in Figure 1, the valve controlled by means S will return to closed position, at which time the valve in air-pipe P will be opened and the cleansing fluid made to flow upwardly. through conduit Q. While the cleansing fluid is forced through one conduit into the clothes holding receptacle, a blast of air is being injected through the upper air pipe in the other conduit and this air blast will cause the soiled foam or suds to be blown upwardly and out through the opening D in the receptacle C, thereby removing a considerable portion of the dirt laden suds or foam.

In the washing of clothes and other material, it is desirous to effect a complete diffusionof soapy material into the cleansing liquid My invention provides a liquid soap supply pipe T entering the air supply pipe, and the supply of soap may be regulated by a hand valve as at t, the liquid soap being:

supplied under air pressure.

What I claim is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a plurality of containers arranged in superposed relation, the upper contamer being provided with foraminated walls and adapted to constitute a clothes-holding container while the lower container is adapted to be provided with a cleansing fluid, means for efi'ecting commun'ication between the cleansing fluid container and the lower part of the clothesholding container, a compressed air supplyhaving communication with said means, and means whereby a current'of compressed air and cleansing fluid and a separate current of compressed air are alternately passedthrough said first mentioned means into the lower part of the clothes-holding container.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a plurality of containers, one of said containers constituting a cleansing fluid holding chamber, the other containers being disposed above the cleansing fluid container and arranged one within the other, with the inner container constituting a clothes-holding container provided with a foraminated bottom and an open top, a pair of conduits leading from the cleansing fluid container into the bottom of one of the. upper containers and beneath the foraminated bottom of the clothes-holding container, a source of compressed air supply, air lines leading from the source of compressed air supply into each of said conduits and opening upwardly therein whereby the cleansing fluid is caused to flow upward through the conduits when certain of the air lines are open, and means whereby the conduits are alternately placed in open and closed condition and flow through the air-lines controlled.

3. In apparatus of the character de-- scribed, a foraminated clothes holding receptacle, a collecting chamber in which the receptacle is mounted, a cleansing fluid holding chamber, a plurality of conduits leading from the last chamber to the bottom of the receptacle, means whereby said conduits are successively openedand closed, a source of compressed air, a pair of air pipes leading from the compressed air supply into each conduit on opposite sides of said means,

and means on said firstmeans and said air pipes whereby the air pipe disposed above the first means "in one conduit and the air pipe disposed below the "first means in a second conduit are placed in air admitting condition when said first means is in one position and the other air-pipes placed in air admitting condition when said first means has moved to a second position. 1

4. In apparatus of the character described, a clothes holding receptacle, a sepa- -rate cleansing fluid holding chamber, a pluthe compressed air supp y to each conduit i on opposite sides of said means, and means on said first named means and said air pipes whereby the air pipe disposed on one side of the first means in oneconduit and the air pipe disposed on the other side of the first means in a second conduit are placed in air admitting condition when said first means is in one position and the other air pipes placed in' air admitting condition when said first means is in a second position.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a t'oraminated clothes holding receptacle, a cleansing fluid holding chamber disposed beneath the receptacle, 2, pair of conduits leading from the fluid holding chamber and terminating in discharge nozoperable by said first means whereby the air pipe above the first means in one conduit and the air pipe below the first means in the second conduit are placed in air admitting condition while the other air pipes position and vice versa when said first means has moved to'a second position.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a clothes holding receptacle, a separate cleansing fluid holding chamber, a plurality of conduits for conveying the cleansing fluid from said chamber and terminating in discharge nozzles at the bottom of said receptacle, a slide-valve adapted to control said'conduits so as to permit flow of cleansing fluid through one conduit while the other conduit is closed, a source of compressed air, a pair of air pipes leading from the compressed air supply to each conduit above and below said slide-valve, means whereby the flow of air through said pipes are closed when the first means is in one a is controlled, and means whereby the slidevalve is 'reciprocated. the conduits alternately placed in open and closed condition and the first means actuated so as to admit air above the slide-valve in one conduit and below the path of the slide-valve in the other conduit when the slide-valve is in one disposed about said receptacle, injector means adapted to raise the cleansing fluid from the holding chamber and to discharge same into said receptacle, means for controlling operation of the injector means, and means whereby a separate current of compressed air is discharged into the reof the cleansing fluid through said conduits may be controlled.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a clothes holding receptacle, a cleansing fluid supply, a compressed air supply, means communicating with said fluid supply and said air supply, adapted to inject the fluid and the'compressed air into the receptacle, and means for controlling the first means so as to provide alternate injections of fluid and air into the receptacle.

JOHN P. BALL. Witnesses:

E. GALLOWAY, R. M.-BELL, E. M. BALL. 

